Remember Mars?
by Dire Banshee
Summary: A pre-series look into the lives of the angels and an answer to the question, 'what did happen to the dinosaurs'


Title: Remember Mars?

Rating: G

Characters: Michael, Raphael, Lucifer, Gabriel, Castiel, God

Warnings: possible blasphemy and misuse of my Catholic upbringing

Summary: So, what did happen to the dinosaurs?

In the beginning, when the world was new and the archangels were the human (_if humans had existed at that point_) equivalent of eight years old, Lucifer and Gabriel raced each other through Heaven to their eldest brother. Michael, the oldest of the angels and therefore closer to seventeen, looked up from the sword practice Father insisted on as the sounds of his younger brothers' voices reached him.

"Michael!" Gabriel called as he touched down. "Michael, will you … oohf!"

He was cut of as Lucifer, going too fast to stop quickly, plowed into him and the two went rolling. They came to a stop a few feet away in a squirming, giggling heap and Michael put his sword down to go help untangle his brothers from one another. Once both younger angels were on their feet and tucking their wings back into place, Michael spoke, "Now, what was all the shouting about?"

"Father said we could go to earth," Gabriel explained, nearly vibrating with excitement. "Will you come with us, Michael? Pleasepleaseplease?"

Lucifer nodded, adding his own voice to Gabriel's chant. Michael grinned at the two.

"I'd love to guys, but," he said, cutting off their happy chorus of, _"Yay!" _"But, it'll have to be after I'm done practicing."

"Aww, come on, Michael!" Gabriel pleaded.

"You can practice when we get back," said Lucifer and Michael shook his head.

"Sorry guys, but Dad's meeting with the other gods later."

Gabriel pouted and Lucifer scowled.

"Why do you gotta go with Him anyway?" Lucifer demanded. "They never do nothin' but glare at each other the whole time!"

"I know," Michael soothed the irate youngster. "But Cronos and Oden are starting to bring some of their kids and so are a few of the other gods. Dad wants me there and, when you get older, he'll wanna bring you guys, too."

"Really?" Gabriel asked, wide-eyed at the prospect, but Lucifer was undeterred.

"It's stupid!" he declared. "Not like we fight anybody anyway, and if we did Dad would just kill 'em all."

Michael sighed and changed the subject. He knew how long Lucifer could work a topic and the older angel had no intention of listening to his sibling complain all day. He stood and picked up his sword and then pointed to the door.

"Go play," he ordered. "And I promise I'll find you guys as soon as I'm done here."

Lucifer looked ready to argue some more but Gabriel distracted his brother by shooting out the door at top speed shouting, "I'm gonna beat you… again!"

Lucifer streaked after his younger brother.

"No, you're not!"

Michael shook his head and went back to his practice. It wasn't too long after, that one of the youngest angels, closer to a human three year old, sought him out. Michael put his sword down as the small Seraphim hesitantly entered the room and stared at him with big blue eyes. Though he wasn't as close to the youngest of his brothers they were still his siblings and the archangel picked up the little angel.

"What's wrong, Castiel?" he asked. "I thought Raphael was watching over you guys today?"

Raphael was only a little younger than Michael, fifteen or so, and often put in charge of the youngest of the Host.

"Raphael's yelling at Gabriel and Lucifer," the little angel relayed, then his voice dropped to a whisper, his tone of one imparting some forbidden piece of knowledge, "They're not supposed to be out of Heaven."

Michael chuckled and ruffled Castiel's dark mop of hair.

"It's okay, Castiel," he assured. "Father said that they could go to earth and play."

Castiel looked at him with wide serious eyes.

"But they're not on earth."

Michael frowned, opening his mouth to ask where the two had gone, when there was a loud noise and a great reverberation that shook Heaven. He could hear Raphael's voice yelling, "Now you've done it! You're gonna be in so much trouble!"

"Oh, no," Michael said softly, clutching the little Seraph tight as he spread his wings and followed the sounds of his brothers' voices.

When Michael landed on earth, he was literally struck dumb for several long moments. The world that his Father and the other gods had worked so diligently on was a smoking ruin; vegetation smoldered, great trees knocked to the ground, the great beasts that had roamed the land were scattered everywhere, the majority of them dead. The sky was dark and there was a light rain of ash coating various portions of the globe. He gaped at the devastation as Raphael crossed his arms and glared smugly at the two youngest archangels who were staring at their feet.

After what seemed a lifetime, Michael finally managed to croak out, "What happened?"

"He did it!" was Gabriel and Lucifer's immediate response, each pointing an accusing finger at the other then glaring at each other.

"They," Raphael said, pointing his own finger to encompass the two, "Decided that playing with the big lizards was too boring and thought that using them for target practice was a much better option!"

"We did not!" Lucifer yelled. "We weren't trying to hit _them_! We were aiming for the volcanoes."

Gabriel lunged for his brother. "Shut up!" he hissed, trying to cover Lucifer's mouth.

Lucifer fended him off with a wing, starting to slap away Gabriel's flailing hands.

"Stop it, both of you!" Raphael commanded, scowling at them.

Gabriel ignored him but Lucifer glared right back.

"Stop trying to act like Dad!"

Michael just continued taking in what used to be a lush and verdant world, holding his baby brother tight as the Seraph snuggled into his shoulder, and wondering what he was going to tell their Father. The sounds of arguing rose behind him until a booming voice made them all freeze, except for Castiel who had fallen asleep in the archangel's arms.

"STOP THIS NOW!" their Father commanded. Raphael, Gabriel, and Lucifer all fell silent as their Father surveyed His world. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"They," Raphael began, pointing, and the argument started all over again. God held up a hand and silence fell. Gently taking the sleeping Seraph from Michael, He handed Castiel to Raphael.

"TAKE THIS LITTLE ONE BACK TO HEAVEN. HE'S TOO YOUNG TO BE OUT JUST YET."

"Yes, Father," Raphael said and hurried back to Heaven. Maybe he could leave the youngster with Anael or Uriel, at twelve they were both old enough to watch over the fledglings, so he could go back and see what happened.

Once Raphael was out of sight, God turned to the youngest archangels but Michael stepped between them.

"Don't be mad at them, Father," he said. "They asked me to go with them and I didn't. I should have gone and kept an eye on them."

God smiled benevolently and placed a reassuring hand on Michael's shoulder.

"NO, MY SON. YOU WERE DOING AS I BADE YOU, THESE TWO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO."

Michael nodded slowly, it was true, what his Father said, but he still didn't want his brother's punished. It was an accident, after all. Their Father smiled at him, as though reading his mind, or maybe just the expression on his face, and leaned closer.

"DON'T WORRY, MICHAEL," he said softly, for just the two of them to hear. "I SEEM TO RECALL A COUPLE OF YOUNG ARCHANGELS DOING A REAL NUMBER ON MARS NOT TOO LONG AGO."

Michael blushed at the memory. He and Raphael hadn't meant to do it, it had just… happened. The other gods hadn't been too thrilled, though, so Father had made some promises and they had all moved their attention to where they stood now. Michael nodded in understanding and God turned to his younger children.

"NOW," he said sternly. "THE TWO OF YOU ARE GOING TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS."

"Yes, Father," they mumbled.

"AND DO A GOOD JOB OF IT. THE OTHERS AND I ARE GOING TO START A NEW PROJECT SOON AND WE NEED A CLEAN WORKSPACE."

"New project, Father?" Michael asked, curious.

"YES," God said. "WE'RE CALLING THEM 'HUMANS'."


End file.
